Warbaby
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Christmas is fast approaching and with it the time for those wonderful holiday drinks - hot toddies, mulled wine, and of course, eggnog. Now it happens that I make quite possibly the best eggnog in the civilized world.
(If you have any doubts as to the veracity of my seemingly extravagant claim, ask Miss 1929. She and her hubby have experienced it and will, no doubt, tell you that it is unlike any eggnog you have ever tasted.)
In the spirit of the season and because I have a noble spirit and generous heart, I am going to share my Ultimate Eggnog receipe with the lounge members.
I've always loved eggnog and have tried many variations over the years. At one point I decided to trace eggnog back to its roots. I wanted to find how it was first made, the Mother of All Eggnogs. This receipe dates from the mid-1700s, and while it may not be the first eggnog, it's old enough for me. I've adjusted the amount to a reasonable quantity (the original receipe made about five gallons) and adapted it to modern ingredients (not easy to find 18th century style loaf sugar).
The most important thing about this eggnog is that it should age at least two weeks - longer if possible - so if you're going to try it, now's the time to start. I usually mix up mine around Thanksgiving.
You'll need a 2 gallon crock. If you don't have or can't find one, a couple of 1 gallon jars will do (but they lack the aesthetic of a crock). The receipe makes about a gallon of eggnog base, but you need sloshing room to stir the mix.
EGGNOG BASE INGREDIENTS LIST
3 quarts Rum
(I use a dark Cuban rum, but you can use any rum you like. You can also vary the flavor by using 2q Rum and 1q Brandy, 2q Rum and 1q Captain Morgan's, or whatever strikes your fancy. I've done an interesting variation by adding a pint of Southern Comfort.) Prolly best to stick to the original all-rum version the first time you make it.
1 quart Milk (real milk, not 2%)
24 Fresh Egg Yolks - we get our eggs from a local farm, but at least use fresh organic veggie-fed free range eggs - commercial grocery store eggs are crap and usually not all that fresh.
(Use the leftover whites to make an angel food cake or something with lots of merengue)
3 cups Sugar (approximately - here's another item that has a lot of flexibility. I usually use light brown sugar, but I've also used dark brown sugar, white sugar and a mixture thereof. I tried adding molasses once but the flavor overpowered all the other flavors and while it was drinkable, it lacked subtlety.
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste. You can also add a bit of cinnamon and/or cloves, but be careful - a little goes a long way and too much of either will overpower the other flavors. My personal preference is for nuttin' but nutmeg.
MAKING THE BASE
Separate the eggs (try to pick out those little white things - I break each egg into a small bowl and remove the white stuff before I put them all together) Beat the eggs well til they're a bit frothy. Dump the bottles of rum into the crock, add the eggs, sugar, and nutmeg, and stir well. Cover the crock and put it in a cool place and let it age until Christmas. Give it a stir every three or four days. I suppose you could put it in the fridge, but it's not necessary unless you live somewhere that doesn't have cool places.
(For those of you who worry about such things, let me reassure you that there's no danger of spoilage with the raw eggs and milk - the amount of alcohol takes care of everything. I've been making this eggnog for more than 30 years and no one's ever gotten sick from it. I've kept bottles of previous years' aged base in the fridge for 5 or 6 years and it was still just fine.)
THE REST OF THE RECEIPE
Once the base has aged, it's not for drinking yet. It's just the base.
Just before serving, whip heavy cream until it is thick but still pourable. Gently fold an equal volume of the whipped cream into the base, top with a grating of fresh nutmeg and serve. If I'm only doing a couple of servings, I mix the base and the cream individually in the mugs. If it's for serving to a group, I mix the whole batch in a punchbowl.
CAUTIONS: Once it has aged and is mixed with cream, it's very smooth and mellow and doesn't taste like it has as much alcohol as it does. It's also very, very rich, so approach it with the sensibility you would exercise with fine cream pastries.
I usually make a double batch so I have enough for Christmas giving to friends. I bottle the base in Grolsch bottles - the kind with the wire bale lid - and give it together with a pint of heavy cream and a whole nutmeg.
I can hardly wait until this year's batch is ready...
(If you have any doubts as to the veracity of my seemingly extravagant claim, ask Miss 1929. She and her hubby have experienced it and will, no doubt, tell you that it is unlike any eggnog you have ever tasted.)
In the spirit of the season and because I have a noble spirit and generous heart, I am going to share my Ultimate Eggnog receipe with the lounge members.
I've always loved eggnog and have tried many variations over the years. At one point I decided to trace eggnog back to its roots. I wanted to find how it was first made, the Mother of All Eggnogs. This receipe dates from the mid-1700s, and while it may not be the first eggnog, it's old enough for me. I've adjusted the amount to a reasonable quantity (the original receipe made about five gallons) and adapted it to modern ingredients (not easy to find 18th century style loaf sugar).
The most important thing about this eggnog is that it should age at least two weeks - longer if possible - so if you're going to try it, now's the time to start. I usually mix up mine around Thanksgiving.
You'll need a 2 gallon crock. If you don't have or can't find one, a couple of 1 gallon jars will do (but they lack the aesthetic of a crock). The receipe makes about a gallon of eggnog base, but you need sloshing room to stir the mix.
EGGNOG BASE INGREDIENTS LIST
3 quarts Rum
(I use a dark Cuban rum, but you can use any rum you like. You can also vary the flavor by using 2q Rum and 1q Brandy, 2q Rum and 1q Captain Morgan's, or whatever strikes your fancy. I've done an interesting variation by adding a pint of Southern Comfort.) Prolly best to stick to the original all-rum version the first time you make it.
1 quart Milk (real milk, not 2%)
24 Fresh Egg Yolks - we get our eggs from a local farm, but at least use fresh organic veggie-fed free range eggs - commercial grocery store eggs are crap and usually not all that fresh.
(Use the leftover whites to make an angel food cake or something with lots of merengue)
3 cups Sugar (approximately - here's another item that has a lot of flexibility. I usually use light brown sugar, but I've also used dark brown sugar, white sugar and a mixture thereof. I tried adding molasses once but the flavor overpowered all the other flavors and while it was drinkable, it lacked subtlety.
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste. You can also add a bit of cinnamon and/or cloves, but be careful - a little goes a long way and too much of either will overpower the other flavors. My personal preference is for nuttin' but nutmeg.
MAKING THE BASE
Separate the eggs (try to pick out those little white things - I break each egg into a small bowl and remove the white stuff before I put them all together) Beat the eggs well til they're a bit frothy. Dump the bottles of rum into the crock, add the eggs, sugar, and nutmeg, and stir well. Cover the crock and put it in a cool place and let it age until Christmas. Give it a stir every three or four days. I suppose you could put it in the fridge, but it's not necessary unless you live somewhere that doesn't have cool places.
(For those of you who worry about such things, let me reassure you that there's no danger of spoilage with the raw eggs and milk - the amount of alcohol takes care of everything. I've been making this eggnog for more than 30 years and no one's ever gotten sick from it. I've kept bottles of previous years' aged base in the fridge for 5 or 6 years and it was still just fine.)
THE REST OF THE RECEIPE
Once the base has aged, it's not for drinking yet. It's just the base.
Just before serving, whip heavy cream until it is thick but still pourable. Gently fold an equal volume of the whipped cream into the base, top with a grating of fresh nutmeg and serve. If I'm only doing a couple of servings, I mix the base and the cream individually in the mugs. If it's for serving to a group, I mix the whole batch in a punchbowl.
CAUTIONS: Once it has aged and is mixed with cream, it's very smooth and mellow and doesn't taste like it has as much alcohol as it does. It's also very, very rich, so approach it with the sensibility you would exercise with fine cream pastries.
I usually make a double batch so I have enough for Christmas giving to friends. I bottle the base in Grolsch bottles - the kind with the wire bale lid - and give it together with a pint of heavy cream and a whole nutmeg.
I can hardly wait until this year's batch is ready...
